Lonoke County, Arkansas. Cooperative Extension Service. We are part of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Serviceâs statewide network and the University of Arkansas Systemâs Division of Agriculture.
Archimedes was born c. 287 BC in the seaport city of Syracuse, Sicily, at that time a self-governing colony in Magna Graecia, located along the coast of Southern Italy. The date of birth is based on a statement by the Byzantine Greek historian John Tzetzes that Archimedes lived for 75 years.
Archimedes Death Ray: October, 2005. See video of the experiment (.mov, 7.0 Mb version, 25.3 Mb version, or 69 Mb version) as seen on the TV program the Daily Planet. You may also want to read the FAQ or other publicity about the test. We also did a follow up experiment with the Mythbusters. Click on image thumbnails to see larger images. Ancient Greek and Roman historians recorded that during the siege of Syracuse in 212 BC, Archimedes (a notably smart person) constructed a burning glass to set the Roman warships, anchored within bow and arrow range, afire.